---
layout: docs
page_title: Traffic encryption overview
description: |-
  Discover the methods of transport encryption used by Nomad and how
  they are used to encrypt all network traffic to and from a Nomad
  agent.
---

# Traffic encryption overview

The Nomad agent supports encrypting all of its network traffic. There are
two separate encryption systems, one for gossip traffic, and one for HTTP and
RPC.

Once you complete this collection you will have configured transport encryption for
all of Nomad's protocols. RPC and HTTP communication is secured with mTLS.
Nomad servers also communicate with a gossip protocol, Serf, which is encrypted
using symmetric encryption and preshared keys.

To review Nomad uses two different encryption schemes for its traffic.

- HTTP - Used to communicate between CLI and Nomad agents. Secured by mTLS.
- RPC - Used to communicate between Nomad agents. Secured by mTLS.
- Serf - Used to communicate between Nomad servers. Frequently referred to as
  "gossip". Secured by a shared key.

Use the [Enable TLS Encryption for Nomad][] guide to configure Nomad for mTLS
and the [Enable Gossip Encryption for Nomad][] to configure gossip encryption
using a pre-shared key.

[enable tls encryption for nomad]: /nomad/docs/secure/traffic/tls
[enable gossip encryption for nomad]: /nomad/docs/secure/traffic/gossip-encryption
